A series of cold storms that could bring snow to the northern Sacramento Valley floor by Thursday morning, might also provide Paradise with a white Christmas.

Johnnie Powell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Sacramento, said the storm system should make itself felt locally by this morning.

Tonight the chance of precipitation is expected to climb to 100 percent and stay there at least through Friday. The forecasters are currently predicting snow in Paradise starting tonight and continuing through Thursday night.

This parade of storms will be similar to the rain siege earlier this month in that there will be little or no break between storms.

But it will be "totally different" in an important way, according to Powell.

The earlier system was a warm rain, supplied by an "atmospheric river" that drenched the region, explained the meteorologist.

This is a cold system, said Powell in a telephone interview from his office.

"A cold system gives you a lot of snow, but it doesn't give you a lot of water," he said.

In the first few days of this system Paradise and Magalia may receive from three to six inches of snow.

As much as a foot of snow could fall between 2,000 and 2,500 feet.

In the highest elevations, up 6 feet of new snow could fall.

"It could be a nice Christmas day for skiing," said Powell.

The forecaster said there is only about a 10 percent chance of snow on the valley floor by Christmas, but Paradise could see 3 to 6 inches of snow next Tuesday morning.

Powell said winds should be reasonably mild with sustained blows of about 15 to 20 mph in the valley.

The winter storm watch posted by the Weather Service says travelers driving on Highways 20, 32, 36, 44, 49, 70 and 89 could have problems because of the potential for snow and ice.

Staff writer Roger H. Aylworth can be reached at 896-7762, raylworth@chicoer.com, or on Twitter @RogerAylworth.